Sparks Fly
by iatethedarknessflame
Summary: Laxus and Emmaline were polar opposites. He was brash and abrasive while she was gentle and kind. His mouth was turned down into a permanent scowl while hers was always plastered with a bring smile. However, any decent lightning mage knows that opposites attract. Their paths cross and sparks fly. Takes place after the Battle of Fairy Tail. LaxusXOC. Rated M for language. Suspended
1. New Beginnings

**New Beginnings**

Her name was Emmaline Tigre and she didn't have a clue what she was doing. With every step she took, she left behind a little bit of her confidence. Her palms grew slick with perspiration and she nervously wiped them on her denim shorts. Thin slivers of sunlight danced over her face, forcing her to squint away the glare. She looked over her shoulder, almost longingly, at what she had walked away from. 5 steps ago, she had entered the forest leading away from the quiet town on the edge of Fiore. This was the beginning of a new life. 200 steps ago, she had left her home, the only one she had ever known. She left her parents, whom she loved dearly, though she could still see them standing on their porch, teary-eyed, waving her goodbye.

"Go get 'em Tiger!" her dad called enthusiastically.

"Don't forget to write!" her mothered nearly sobbed.

If she could still hear her parent's encouragement, it was too soon to give up. Beyond her house, lay the entire sea-side village. She saw the market where the same people sold the same produce day in and day out. She saw the row of boutiques and other shops where those who didn't farm made their living. She saw the largest building, the school, where she'd suffered through classes with the same 20 people (and her class was considered large) for 10 years.

 _Like a small boat on the ocean, sending big waves into motion._ The lyrics lifted her spirits and strengthened her resolve. This is why she was leaving. She wasn't about to spend another day in that monotonous village living out a circadian lifestyle. Besides, how can you make a big splash in a tiny puddle? Emmaline faced forwards again, humming the tune to her favorite song.

She looked at the lush forest before her and knew she was walking towards a bright future ahead. After all, Fiore was a magical place. Literally. Scores of wizards inhabited the country making a living using their innate abilities. That was the future that she saw for herself. More specifically, she envisioned herself as a wizard of Fairy Tail. Rising the ranks through the years until she became an S class lightning wizard. Unfortunately, she'd never be the top lightning mage because that title had been claimed long ago. But that didn't deter her from her lofty goals. She had spent hours dreaming of what adventures awaited her, what sort of team she would be a part of and of the day she would finally step foot into the world and begin her journey.

And that day had finally come.

-o0o-

His name was Laxus Dreyer and he knew only too well what he had done. He had left Magnolia even before the Fantasia parade had ended. Smiling sadly, his feet carried him further and further from his dear guild mates. If only he had realized sooner how important they really were to him, he could be celebrating with the best in Fiore, surrounded by his comrades. But that's not what happened and the lightning mage knew it was useless to dwell on what-if's. He could only move forward, find some sort of redemption and maybe one day be able to face Markov again. If there was one thing he regretted most, it was undermining the guild master. No, his grandfather. His only true family in the lineage of flesh and blood.

Gramps says that flesh and blood don't matter, that everyone in Fairy Tail is family and that's what matters most. And maybe he's right. But that's not to say that the old geezer isn't his strongest tie. It wasn't the guild who taught him to always wield a strong confidence, but an even stronger heart. It wasn't the guild who cried tears of joy when he produced his first spark. No, it wasn't the guild who saved his ass when he was an overconfident teen who tried to take on a family of vulcan all by himself. It was his grandfather who selflessly picked him up every time he fell down.

Laxus' injuries caused him to move at a much slower pace than he wanted but it gave him time to ponder his future. Even as the distance between him and Magnolia grew greater, he knew that he would never truly leave his guild behind. They made that very clear in the Fantasia parade (he'd never admit it, but the gestured yanked pretty hard at his heartstrings). He heard fireworks explode signaling the finale of the festival. Without looking back, he raised his good arm and proudly pointed his index to the starry sky.

Laxus knew he would always be a part of Fairy Tail and no matter where he goes, he would always carry a piece of them in his heart.

Or some mushy crap like that.

* * *

A/N: Hi everyone, thank you so much for reading my story! Feel free to leave a review with what you thought. Like it? Want more? What do you want to see? Let me know! Keep reading to find out what happens next! I promise it gets more exciting. In case you didn't recognize it, the lyrics come from Rachel Platten's _Fight Song_. It's an awesome song and I'd highly suggest listening to it/looking up the lyrics!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, obviously. Or the song _Fight Song_ but I love it so much!


	2. Two

**Two**

Laxus woke up to streams of filtered sunlight dancing over his face. Throughout the night, he followed a single road through many towns without purposeful direction. He walked until his tired legs refused to carry him any further. It was just breaking dawn when he sat beneath a tree in the forest beside the road and fell asleep.

The lightning mage had thought a lot during that night and he didn't want to think anymore when he woke up the next day. His life used to be simple, he didn't have to think so much. He just had to know that he was strong. Stronger than anyone else. If he encountered someone that could defeat him, he would get stronger and surpass them. Until one day when he'd surpass the most powerful man he knew, Makarov.

There used to be two types of people in his life - those who were weak and those who were strong. It was the duty of the strong to punish the weak and push them to be stronger. That is what he thought it meant to do someone a favor. That is what he thought he was supposed to do for his comrades.

But that's not what he thought anymore. He saw the pain and suffering he caused them. He saw that the result of his actions did not better his guild mates. He knew that he had to think differently, to understand where their pride came from, if it was not brute strength. That is why Laxus had to wake up and do more pensive thinking.

What a pain, he thought. Somewhere in his concentration, he drifted into a light sleep. What felt like moments later, he was aroused by some girl's mutterings. He thought he caught the phrase "pile of trash" but in his hazy state, everything sounded more like incoherent chatter. He decided against throwing accusations. Rather, a low, guttural groan which sounded almost like a growl escaped his lips.

"Oh my god this is an animal's nest," he heard the voice say.

Laxus peaked out from under his cape which was currently being utilized as a shield from the sun. It had created a nice atmosphere for a nap though he didn't recall ever throwing it over his head. Through bleary eyes, he saw a young girl standing cautiously a few feet from his resting spot.

"Oh shit! It's a person," she cried.

She was one of the weak ones. That was pretty evident petite physique. Her bright, grey eyes sparkled with a vulnerable innocence and shined brightly against her black hair. That was probably the only dark part about her. He categorized her as just a typical peppy teen, overly optimistic about everything. How annoying. Her unconfident, nervous stance didn't help her case much either. She was tiny, looked about age 15, and had no muscle on her bones. He could tell that she was a lightning wizard by the way his hair tingled when she approached but her awkward stance made it apparent that she had no skills in fighting. Definition of weak. But there more to her than that?

Laxus knew he had to look at the bigger picture. He had to see beyond his binary scope of worthy for a fight or not. Could this girl be worthy yet not strong? Worthy vs strong. To him, the two were one in the same. Besides, you ain't gonna be able to see the picture if you get your lights knocked out by the guy who's tougher than you. So why does it matter?

His thoughts were interrupted by the girl's insistent chatter. She must have been talking to him but he tuned her out. Why does it matter what she had to say? But he wanted to change. Desperately. So Laxus decided to try something knew; he listened to what the weakling way saying. Maybe she could provide him with some answers.

"I'm so sorry I thought you were a pile of trash. I honestly couldn't see your, uh, human-like features. You know your limbs and eyes and stuff. I am really, really sorry."

So he wasn't mistaken when he heard "pile of trash". He smirked, slightly amused by the girl. Congrats, you have my full attention, he thought. He continued to shed his cape until he lightning mage, in all his glory, was unveiled.

"You probably think I'm such a dunce but I swear..." The girl's breath caught in her throat when she discovered who she was standing before. There was no mistaking the lightning shaped scar, even though it was partially covered by bandages. She fell to her knees and stared wide-eyed, mouth ajar.

"You're Laxus Dreyer, the strongest lightning wizard in Fairy Tail," she whispered.

"Yeah and who the hell are you?" Laxus retorted. He was annoyed by the way she was staring at him. The lowest of weaklings would gawk at him with fear, sometimes terror in their eyes. Their knees would shake. Their teeth would chatter. Every head would bow in his presence and pray that he'd pass without trouble. He was feared because he was the grandson of Makarov Dreyar and because of his abrasive reputation. Rumors were exchanged when his back was turned. They'd talk about how he was a jerk, about how his guild was a joke. It made him seethe with anger.

"You..." she started. Laxus glared at the small girl. She must have been braver than she looked to address him directly. "You are probably the coolest wizard to ever live!"

* * *

 _Dear Mom and Dad,_

 _What a time I'm having! So many things have already happened. More excitement than I could find at home in a week! I'll start from the beginning but trust me it gets so much better as the day goes on!_

 _I took the familiar hike through the woods on the path that leads to the main road. You know, no big deal. It was as peaceful and encouraging as ever. You know, it really felt like the trees were whispering best wishes to me when I felt the breeze. Then, I realized that I forgotten my map and I wasn't sure which way to follow the road. But I met this man named Tom who was headed towards Magnolia anyways._

 _Then! I met a FAIRY TAIL wizard! He's just the coolest ever! Like all of the wizards in Fairy Tail! Aren't they just the greatest though? They're so strong and fearless. And all the trouble they get into! It's just great! (I promise I won't do anything reckless). Oh I really hope that I'll be that cool too when I join. Ah sorry I didn't realize I was fangirling again. Even in my letter... Oops._

 _But out of all of the amazing wizards in Fairy Tail, I met LAXUS! You know, the lighting mage. JUST LIKE ME! It was the single greatest moment of my life. Yeah, even better than that time I got struck by lightning and walked away like it was nothing. Only because right after that I was KO'd from the overload of electricity. Ruined the moment, you know?_

 _He's super cool, just like_ Sorcerer's Weekly _said. And, we're going to do some super cool Fairy Tail stuff so I can learn firsthand from a member how to fit into the guild. Like wow this is going to be so awesome!_

 _Hope you guys are doing super awesome too at home. I'll be traveling a lot for a while but as soon as I settle down in Magnolia, I'll let you know my address and all._

 _Lots of Love,_

 _Emmaline_

* * *

Author Note:

So, what do you think? Like it? Don't? Either way, I'd love it if you left a review! Things are hopefully starting to get more interesting. Stay tuned for next chapter! It's already written and I'm just working on editing so hopefully it'll be posted soon.

Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail (duh)


	3. Directions

Directions

Laxus couldn't help but wonder where he went wrong. He watched the enthusiastic girl beside him trying to keep pace with his ample strides. The lightning pair were following a long forest path separating two small towns. A warm breeze washed through the lush greenery carrying the scent of fresh pines. The morning was late and the sun had nearly reached the peak of its arc through the sky. Though, the larger wizard felt as though the day was much older. Emmaline had not shut up about Fairy Tail since they met and her relentless energy was giving him a headache.

"My god would you shut up already?" he barked.

The young girl was startled by his sudden outburst but quickly recovered. "I'm sorry it's a bad habit of mine. I just love Fairy Tail so much!" She continued to babble so Laxus attempted to resign himself to more deep thinking. Her voice penetrated the wall he was trying to erect between them.

"Look, kid, would you get lost? I work alone, now."

"I am." She smiled sheepishly at him and shrugged. "But you aren't. You know where we are going."

We? He never remembered extending her an invitation to travel alongside him. If he wanted some cutesy pet to follow him around, he'd pick up a stray flying cat. Was this kid really so presumptuous as to invite herself to tag along?

Laxus groaned. It was when she had first expressed her desire to join Fairy Tail.

"Fairy Tail, you say. Well, hate to break it to you but you don't know the first thing about the guild," he scoffed contemptuously. He continued without giving her a chance to retort. "For instance, take the first master. To really know how to be a Fairy Tail wizard, you should throw it back 100 years to the intentions that Mavis Vermillion had when founding the guild. Yeah, that would be a good place to start." It was then that Laxus knew where he needed to go. It had been an awful, lonely feeling to tread aimlessly without direction. But now he had one. At that moment, he pointed his compass to Tenrou Island. And apparently at that moment, he also invited the kid along for the ride. Though he didn't really mind having her stick around in his current state. The lightning mage was still wrapped in bandages from head to toe. He had several broken ribs and a fractured wrist. Not to mention the myriad of burns all over his body. The girl apparently had some skills in managing wounds so he sort of needed her to keep an eye on his condition. Also, he severely mooched off of her food.

"If your life could be described by a song, what song would that be?"

The shirtless mage couldn't even begin to comprehend where she came up with this shit. He would have dismissed the random questions as some strange form of small-talk except they had been tossed intermittently in her honest questions about Fairy Tail. And the curious expression on her face made him think that she actually cared about his answers. He had told her about the founding of the guild, the first three masters, general culture around the guild hall, who he though had the nicest voice in the guild (himself, duh), what color shoes he personally preferred (he doesn't care), and if he's allergic to anything (too many questions).

"My life's theme song?" He had actually thought about that one before. "It would definitely be 'Shoot to Thrill' by AC/DC. Such a classic," he admitted with a small smile. Her face illuminated with delight when she saw his grin so he quickly resumed his stoic demeanor.

"That song is for sure in my top three from them. Angus Young tears it up on the guitar. Is it because of the literal translation of the title or the underlying meaning of the lyrics? Eh either way, that's kinda messed up. I don't think you should describe your life as shooting people for fun, you know. And honestly, if you're going classic rock, even just AC/DC, I'm rather surprised you didn't say 'Thunderstruck', but maybe that's just me."

Laxus silently cursed himself for not thinking of that first. "So, you like classic rock?" he asked casually. Maybe this chick was cool.

"Some classic rock, but more alternative or hard rock. Actually though, I mostly listen to pop because my voice doesn't really fit rock." She paused for a moment, her eyes perking up like a watch dog on duty.

"Shh," Emmaline whispered though she was the one talking. Her hand gently rested on his arm, halting him from continuing down the path. He had been deliberating the merits of 'Shoot to Thrill' but the soft touch brought his thoughts back to the present from a dreamy state. His distant gaze returned and found her face, scrunched in concentration. He followed her line of sight but didn't detect anything particularly alarming. The forest held its breath and nothing dared disturbed the stillness in the air.

She removed her hand and before Laxus could figure out what was happening, a thin bolt of lightning shot out from her hand and landed between two trees. It raced for about 100 feet before dissolving in the air leaving a behind a charged field. The smaller mage whipped around and repeated the attack in the opposite direction. "We're surrounded," she yelled. "Don't move!"

She was right. Four classically shady characters revealed their hiding spots from behind the thick trees. Two blocked the path ahead and the other two cut off escape by back-tracking. They sported identical trench coats and solid sunglasses to hide their gritty faces. Strangely, they all had frizzy afros too. Laxus wasn't surprised though; he was all too familiar with the extra effects of lightning magic. He turned around to face the two thugs to their backs.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here. A little girl and an injured old man," the tallest one jeered. His voice was rough like sandpaper.

"Okay, why does everyone insist on calling me a little girl? I'm fricken 19!" Emmaline pouted. Laxus' indifferent expression was replaced by mild shock. He was sure that she was at max 15 years old.

"I'm not an old man," he added lamely.

"Shut up, pipsqueak. You're annoying," the smallest one squealed, ignoring Laxus' comment. Minus the frizzy black afro, he just about matched Emmaline in height but was much bigger-boned. It seems that he had just developed a personal vendetta against the girl. A grey magic circle grew before him from which drew forth several jagged stones. He hurled them towards the two lightning mages with speeds as sharp as the stone's edges.

Emmaline's back was to him and Laxus prepared to fend off the attack. He couldn't imagine that his partner, though a wizard, could be very competent in a fight. She came up to his arm pit when both feet were on the ground. But with that happy-go-lucky bounce in her step, she averaged out to shoulder height. Her thin bolt of lightning matched her height in both size and aggression. However, before he could get into stance, the girl reached towards the assailant and waved her hand towards the other bandit. The stones altered their trajectory and crashed into the new target. She accomplished this all without glancing over her shoulder.

"Oi! Whatcha doin' mate?" the battered punk yelled at his comrade.

Laxus took advantage of their confusion to launch a counter attack. With a wicked grin, he raised his good arm and summoned an inconceivable amount of lightning from the perfectly blue sky. The surge was discharged in four different directions, sending the troublemakers flying far off into the forest. Emmaline was knocked back by the force of his power and fell on her butt.

"Huh, still haven't recovered all of my magic power," he commented as if his last attack wasn't the most impressive thing his new comrade had ever seen.

The little lightning mage gawked at the man standing before her. She was seeing him for the wizard he truly was for the first time. The bandages not only masked his wounds, but also his intimidating presence. She was very aware of the solid muscles bulging out of every inch of his body from redressing his wounds. His biceps, his pecks, his calves... Oh man, he must have a killer behind, she thought. Her eyes followed the lines of his rigid muscles down his back.

Laxus noticed her staring wide-eyed at him. "What the hell," he grumbled and checked his back for dirt or something.

"Ah, nothing!" she squeaked and blushed.

He extended his massive hand towards the girl sitting on the grassy forest floor. She shakily accepted and he pulled her off the ground so her feet dangled about 5 inches from the ground and set her down.

"You okay, kid?" He suddenly remembered that she wasn't too much younger than him. Could he still call her that? She uncomfortably shifted her weight between her two feet. Her awkward stance and the dazed look on her face made her look 10 years old. Yeah, he decided, she was definitely still a kid.

-o0o-

 _Dear Mom and Dad,  
_

 _Hope everything is going well at home. I'm missing the readily available pastries from our shop so much. Forest berries just don't compare to the sugar-soaked strawberries that top my favorite shortcake.  
_

 _Things are going well. Laxus and I were ambushed today but he's so amazing! One hit and he blew them all to kingdom come. (That's the correct expression right?) He is the strongest wizard I've ever seen firsthand. Nothing like the magic we see in the carnival shows. He was even freshly wounded but all it took was one hand and BAM they were gone. Oh man, he is so strong. I can practically see his magic energy with my plain old eyes. It's really inspiring to see what a wizard like me is capable of._

 _It's only been a few days and I'm learning so much about the wizarding world!_

 _Love,_

 _Emmaline_

* * *

A/N:

Thank you so much if you've made it this far into my story! I hope you're enjoying it. What do you think? Leave a review and let me know. Is there something you want to see? Something not right?

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail!


	4. Her Story

**Her Story**

"Let me try and explain it again. But honestly, it's just basic electrostatic forces. You know, physics?" Emmaline had spent a good part of the last hour trying to explain how her magic operated. She was starting to pick up that Laxus was more of the brawns, not brains type. "You know about atoms right?"

"Like hell I do," he retorted defensively. "They're like the little living dots that make up living things. You know, photosynthesis and shit."

"Eh, I think you're thinking of cells. In plants." She wasn't sure if breaking it down to the most basic level was helping or hurting his conceptualization.

"Obviously," he scoffed. "I was just making sure that little head of yours wasn't mixing things up." He seemed extremely disgruntled by his apparent mistake. Deep lines of concentration crossed his face as he tried to sort out which particle was which.

"Insulting my head isn't going to help anything." Emmaline could tell he was getting frustrated and probably wanted to drop the subject soon. "Well, do you know how your magic works?"

"Yeah, I flex my muscles and things go boom," he sneered. To prove his point, he raised a fist crackling with electric energy. Despite his bandage-wrapped appearance, he produced a considerable amount of magic energy just by flexing. Actually, the older lightning mage was quite interested in this science behind his magic. These obscure concepts were just so annoying though! Couldn't she just explain it simply?

She had started by explaining the natural phenomenon of thunderstorms and their origin. "You see, water molecules in the air collide and lose electrons. This creates a potential difference which results in an electric field."

"Yeah, don't care," he rudely interjected.

So she tried to go right into relating it to him. "Electrons travel when there is a potential difference. So when you summon lightning, your magic makes you positively charged to attract the electrons in the surrounding area. Then to expel the stored charged, your magic makes your body negatively charged. Like-charges repel so the force of like-charge repulsion propels your energy towards your target. So basically, you flip the sign electrical charge around in significant amounts."

"No I don't." He actually had no clue but he just wanted to be difficult. Everything that she had said went in one ear and out the other. "I asked about your magic. Not mine."

"Fine. I guess you don't care about electrostatic forces," she pouted.

"Finally." Laxus threw his good arm into the air. "You're really slow to pick things up." He enjoyed the agitated face she made when he teased her. It gave him a twisted sense of satisfaction like grabbing a rodent's tail and watching it squirm. And it was his only conceivable source of self-entertainment that he could think of. The forest scenery had been unrelenting. Since the lame ambush attempt, the woods rested undisturbed by anything even remotely interesting.

"Damn, it's hot out," he grunted and stopped suddenly to shed his coat. The sun had done a fine job of warming the earth that day and the overhanging greenery blanketed the heat and moisture to the forest floor. Lost in thought, Emmaline wandered past him not noticing that he had paused to shed some layers. As she strolled by, Laxus grabbed her by the bag and hoisted her in the air.

"Man, how do you travel so light? Ever _needs_ at least one bag stuffed to the brim every time we leave the city. It feels like there's nothing in here." He set her back down but held her still so he could fill her backpack with his long, fur-lined coat. Satisfied when the top was finally shut, he patted her on the head and continued one his way. "Way to make yourself useful."

Apparently the additional luggage went unnoticed by her as she played with some intricate webs of electricity around her fingers. Still focused on her magic, she didn't consciously account for the extra weight on her back and began to tip backwards. Laxus noticed and lunged for the tiny girl before she ended up on the ground. He sighed and slipped her out of the bulky backpack.

"I'm just trying to explain how we're different. I'm more of an electrostatics wizard, which includes lightning magic." The entire one-way exchange went over her head.

"Yeah, but really shitty lightning magic," he jeered at her as he clipped her bag on the back of his own. Okay, maybe he took it too far that time. The girl went silent beside him and her bright smile had been replaced with a shadow cast across her face.

"I'm just telling it like it is," he muttered. That didn't help. He heard a small sniffle and began to panic. What kind of jerk makes a little girl cry? The kind of jerk that forces his friends to fight each other just so he could prove his own worth. At this rate, would he ever atone for his rebellious behavior? Maybe, he thought, he could begin now.

Normally at this point, Laxus would say 'toughen up' and quit wasting his time with this weakling. Well, normally he'd avoid this sort of situation all together.

"Just because you don't have a strong offense doesn't mean you suck as a wizard. I saw what your killer defense. You pulled some pretty neat tricks out of your ass back there. And that lightning speed is really something to reckon with." The whole point of this conversation had been to find out about that magic anyways. Honestly, he wasn't sure if he even cared that much but it's not like he had anything better to do while they walked.

She erupted into a fit of giggles. God, this kid was weird. He really had to bite back his tongue to keep from saying it out loud.

"You really liked it?" she asked, red rimmed eyes shining bright as ever. "Wow, this has to be, like, the greatest day of my life. I can't believe Laxus Dreyar likes my magic! If he's the coolest wizard in the coolest guild, what does that make me? I don't even care! I'm just so happy!" The girl was getting all giddy over a back-handed compliment.

"I want to be strong like you, one day," she finished.

"Of course you do," he smirked. He wasn't going to complain about girls fawning over him. Well, singular girl. Generally, he tended to scare people off or push them away with his prickly character. Male or female. Was it even possible that someone could admire _him_ of all people? He glanced at the girl still basking in his comment. Apparently so.

"Your magic?" Time to bring her back down to earth.

"Oh yeah," she remembered the whole reason for the conversation. "I use electrostatic forces to manipulate anything that can hold a remote electric charge (ahem, basically everything) and particle densities to see things with a sort of sixth sense. Hey, where'd my stuff go?"

Jeez, getting a straight answer from this kid was like pulling teeth. That's all he needed to know!

-o0o-

 _Dear Mom and Dad,_

 _I have the chilling suspicion that I wasted 10+ of my life learning trivial information every day in school._

 _I mean, do I_ really _need to know how to read a Punnett square or how to take the inverse of a mathematical matrix or Socrates' opinion on epistemology? And, do I even need to know what electricity is to wield it?_

 _I know a Thunder Man, possibly (probably), the best at his craft. Yet, he barely knows the difference between a proton and a neutron. If he even knows what those are at all._

 _So where does that put all of those hours of my life?_

 _Hope all is going well with you ad that you don't come to any disturbing conclusions like I have._

 _Love,_

 _Emmaline_

 _P.S. - I loved every minute I was learning in school_

* * *

A/N: I don't own Fairy Tail! Hope you're liking the story so far!


	5. His Story

**His Story**

Emmaline could hear the soft trickle of a stream and decided it was a good time to stop and take a rest. Some of Laxus' bandages had been torn loose in his immense discharge of energy and she wanted to adjust them before they fell off completely. The lightning mage didn't complain. Static residue of their attacks clung to the fabric wraps. It was pricking at his wounds and made him itch.

Before they settled down, the girl plucked some sort of leafy foliage from the base of a tree near the river. Its thin hollow stem gave way to four broad leaves. "For natural remedies," she offered though no one had asked or cared.

The sun was deep into its descent towards the night with streams of dusky red streaking the evening sky. Billowing clouds rolling in from the nearby mountain range promised a warm blanket to trap the day's heat. It would be a pleasant night to spend in the forest if the duo couldn't reach a town before nightfall.

The larger mage made himself comfortable leaning against a sturdy trunk. The girl settled beside him and began uncovering a nasty gash across his temple. It was healing rapidly, already significantly smaller than the last time she had inspected it. She was impressed at how quickly he was recovering his health and at the absence of scar tissue branding a permanent reminder across is forehead.

"How did this happen to you?" she questioned softly. This level of injury was to be expected from a dangerous wizarding quest, not the consequence of some brawl as he had said.

"I got bested in one hell of a battle," he sighed. The soft bubbling of the river had soothed his mind but images of the fight began to replay in his mind. He decided that he might as well narrate them out loud for the nosey girl. "First, I faced off against Mystogan."

"Wow! Mystogan the mystery." Her eyes nearly doubled in size. "What kind of magic does he even use? I don't hear much about him in the magazines."

"Real trippy shit. A lot of cheap tricks," he replied bitterly. The terror of being ripped from the Earth and staring into the acrid mouth of some hellish monster that ripped through space still haunted his dark memories. "And, I'll let you in on a secret, kid. That bastard ain't from around here. He hails from a world called Edolas where everyone here has a copy of themselves. He's the copy Erza's boyfriend." Frankly, he didn't care if he was spilling confidential information. He was just pissed that he let Mystogan get the better of him for even a moment. "Yeah, then I duked it out with Erza."

" _The_ Erza Scarlet? She's only the strongest female wizard in Fairy Tail. And with over 100 requips, I bet she's the strongest female wizard in the world!" Laxus didn't think her eyes could get any larger but they just did.

"Well she's feisty, I'll give you that. But really, no match. I sent her running with her tail between her legs," he boasted knowing fully well that was not actually what had happened. "After Erza, Natsu wanted to play but he wasn't any match either. Obviously. But then Gajeel came to save his ass. Even the two combined weren't enough to take him out. See, that's a second gen dragon slayer for you. Except," he stopped, unsure he wanted to describe his embarrassing and unintentional show of heart and mercy. No, he decided, it would ruin the story. "Well, you know how the rest turned out," he finished, motioning towards his hapless state.

It looked like Emmaline's eyes were about to pop out of her skull. She sat back on her haunches trying to imagine the tremendous battles. "You fought an alien, an S-class wizard, and two dragon slayers all by yourself?" she shouted incredulously, getting right in his face.

He flicked her forehead sending her falling back into lush forest fronds. Unfazed, she just lay there staring at the sky, still dazed by his glory.

"Oi! You going to finish my checkup?" he barked impatiently.

"Sorry, you assaulted me," she responded quickly and went back to removing bandages.

Blisters had formed all over his body. They concealed painful bruises left behind by raging dragon slayer fists. He would wince in anticipation every time her hands passed over the sensitive skin but her gentle touch never agitated the open sores. Eventually, he relaxed his taught muscles.

"What the hell are you doing? This isn't time for a snack," he boomed, causing Emmaline to nearly choke. She had started to munch on the leaves she snatched.

"Healing remedies," she tried to communicate with a mouth full of plants. Once they were mashed into a sloppy pulp, she spit the salve out and reached towards the lightning mage.

"No, get the fuck away from me. I don't want that shit from your dirty mouth." He started to get up but his exposed wounds protested all contact with the tree behind him. He grunted and sat back down.

"My dirty mouth? I'm not the one using foul language. I guess you weren't paying attention, but I applied this the first time I treated you." He held his head and carefully applied the medicine to his forehead. The stinging was instantly soothed. "See?"

Laxus grunted in response and didn't resist again. After his head was redressed, Emmaline moved on to rubbing the plant concoction over the burns on his chest. The mysterious medicinal properties of the slimy mixture numbed the aches all over his body and rejuvenated his muscles.

"Yeah, baby. Oh yeah, you like running your hands all over my body?" he hooted at her.

She just ignored the comments, as she did with all of his rude and obnoxious musings. With power evidently comes a massive ego and a buttload of testosterone. But whatever, he needed the treatment more than she cared about what he said. It was just another case of men flaunting their power around. She finished spreading the healing herbs around his body and wiped her hands in the grass.

"What's the matter, baby? You all done feeling me up?" She just rolled his eyes and went for the bandages. Time to wrap things up here. "Come on, don't be shy." He reached for her face but she flinched away from his touch and scowled at him.

"You're making this so much more difficult than it has to be," she muttered quietly, afraid to stand up to the aggressive mage.

"Oh, feisty are we? I can play it that way," he hissed. Before she knew it, he had pinned her to the ground holding both her wrists above her head. Even with one arm still wrapped in a splint, Emmaline knew she was completely at his mercy. His face was just inches from hers, his rustic scent of teak wood filled her nose. She could feel his hot breath on her skin.

"Why so serious?" he sneered. A wicked grin played at his lips.

All she could do was stare contemptuously into his dark eyes. They were wild, the setting sun glinting off of them with a red glow. Though, it wasn't malice that gleamed in his eyes. No, it was more of a devilish amusement. He was just toying with her and she could call his bluff. Nevertheless, she lay there limply, gripped with fear and strong, confident hands.

Soft lips brushed her ear as he deeply inhaled the fragrance of her cherry blossom shampoo. The intimate touch of his skin flooded her head with tiny electric sparks and sent a hot shiver down her spine. "Say the word and it could be yours," he purred. His dangerous lips curled into an even wider smile as he watched her squirm beneath him.

Eventually, he grew tired of looking at her disdainful expression and dismounted the girl. He sat back with a snort. "Fine, have it your way. But I think you would have liked it," he taunted.

"Oh shut up! You can do your bandages yourself," she shouted exasperatedly and threw the medical wrap at him. It bounced harmlessly off his shoulder and she stormed off.

His deep laugh echoed through the trees as she stalked down the path. When she was out of sight, he began to rewrap his wounds. Much to his dismay, he quickly discovered the difficulty of covering his body in bandages with only one functioning arm. After cursing the wrap, his arm, and the dragon slayers who caused this, he gave up and started for the road.

* * *

A/N:

How do you like the story so far? Please read and review! Let me know what you think! More chapters to come very soon (much less of a gap than between this chapter and the last). I already have them written out. Just need to edit!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail


	6. Amends

**Amends**

Emmaline was leaning against a tree waiting for him. In the extinguishing twilight, he could just make out her impish form standing delicately beneath the proud oak. She was hunched over a notebook, pen to paper scribbling away furiously. As he passed, he dropped the remaining roll of bandages at her feet without a word. She ignored him and continued writing.

Fine, she could stay there all night for all he cared. "Bye," he called over his shoulder as he worked his way deeper into the forest. Eventually, he heard her soft footsteps fall in behind him but she maintained a comfortable cushion of space between them. They continued separately like this until the night cast its shadow and rendered their eyes useless.

Laxus threw down his luggage after tripping over a root for the third time. This seemed like as good of a place as any to stop for the night. Emmaline kept her distance, coming to a standstill in the deep shadow of a tree. She debated whether or not she should get any closer to the dangerous mage.

"You're creepy as fuck over there," he crudely remarked. She offered nothing in response. "Oh come on, what's eating you?"

She stared at him incredulously. "You suck!" she yelled at the top of her lungs and kicked the tree.

Laxus had no idea how to respond appropriately without making her angrier so he occupied his hands with building a fire. He could deal with anything an opponent could throw at him, his grandfather's nagging lectures, Freed's infatuation, hell, he could even deal with a kick to the balls. But when it came to girls, he was completely lost. She furiously stalked around their camp which irritated the older mage. How was he supposed to think of something to say when he had to keep an eye on her constant movement? He grabbed her on her tenth pass and plopped her down with a growl. She crossed her arms and refused to look at him. He wasn't sure if she didn't resume her laps because she wasn't really that angry or because she knew that he'd grab her again.

He let out a sharp breath once she finally seemed to relax and started to settle back himself. That was what she was waiting for. She turned to flee but he chased her with a thin bolt of lightning. It lit up the dark forest with a blinding white flash and diminished when it hit his target. It would was much easier to catch up with someone who wasn't moving.

He found her lying in the grass surprisingly composed. Usually, he'd find his targets convulsing uncontrollably as the aftershocks racked their body. She just lay still glowering up at him. He scooped her up and carried her back to where he had started building the fire. The hum of electricity pulsed beneath her skin but only a small fraction of what he had hit her with remained.

"You're full of crap," she spat at him.

"I know, I know," he sighed. "Can you move?"

"No!" she screamed and started furiously writhing in his arms. He could feel her frustration rising as her limbs refused to cooperate. She thrashed about, only able to twist her torso and whip her head back and forth. The anger prickled at his skin like an army of hungry gnats and he struggled not to drop her.

It took a moment but he realized that the feeling on his arms was a physical pricking, not just the residue of extreme emotions. She was dispelling the extra energy from her body and using him as a lightning rod.

"Look, just hear me out." He squeezed her tighter so that she wouldn't bolt once she regained mobility. "I'm sorry I was a dick to you. It's a bad habit of mine that I'm trying to break. How about I take you out to dinner and we call it even. You know, for fixing me up and for being a jerk. Me being a jerk, not you." Girls like that kind of thing, right? Her body went limp and he thought that he had crushed her.

"Fine," she stated, still being short with him. "But you decide where we go. I don't like being responsible for those types of things." She paused for a moment lost in thought. He was afraid she was going to change her mind and try to run away again. "And other things. I don't like being responsible for other things."

He let out a sigh of relief that he hadn't killed his traveling companion and had made the right amends. He sat her down very gently suddenly afraid that her thin bones might snap in half. He made a mental note to test her strength soon so he knew how far he could go without breaking her.

"Get some sleep kid." He tossed her bag to her and rolled out his own sleeping mat.

The stars twinkled jovially against the dark backdrop of the night sky. It was a clear night, perfect for spending outdoors. The air was warm and light, just the way Laxus liked it.

He lay on his back with one arm behind his head and the other pointed towards the stars. Would his grandfather be proud that he had forsaken his pride to make things right? Did he really even care that much what he thought?

"You're not a jerk," Emmaline rolled over to face him.

He could feel her warm smile directed towards him. It was the same one that he felt from the Thunder God Tribe but had taken for granted.

He just grunted in response. If only she knew.

-o0o-

When he was sure she was asleep, Laxus got up and rummaged through Emmaline's bag. His heart pounded hard in his chest and he prayed that she wouldn't wake up. He knew (from experience) that if you went through a girl's stuff without their permission, they'd actually try to murder you. With the vengeance of a she-devil.

He bit his lip and dared not even a wisp of breath to escape until he found the crumpled up wad of paper. It was risky. It was a complete and utter invasion of privacy. It was a real jerk thing to do. But he was insanely curious to know what she had been scribbling so angrily.

 _Dear Mom and Dad,_

 _I'm lost. I don't know what I'm doing now. I didn't know what I was doing the moment I stepped out of the door. I figured my heart would guide me to Fairy Tail. So I did and now I am far far away from my goal._

 _I'm lost and I'm scared. All I wanted was to join the guild of my dreams and become the best wizard I could possibly be. That's not hard, right? So how did I end up, stranded in a forest of nightmares and terrors. The worst of which is guiding me along this awful path._

 _He's a monster. What if there are others like him in Fairy Tail? I just don't know what to believe anymore._

* * *

AN: What do you think? Like the story so far? Now that the ball is rolling, I'm thinking that the chapters are going to almost double in length. I had this chapter originally tacked onto the last one but decided to break it up for a consistent length. But once the action really starts, I don't think this length can do it justice. So brace yourselves!

What's your favorite Fairy Tail blog on Tumblr? I think I'm going to start one for my story and I'd love some suggestions for blogs to follow. PM if you know a good one! Or if you just want to chat. I like making new friends (:

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail!


	7. Nights

**Nights**

They started simple.

Laxus saw a wild, young man. Untamed hair fell in clumps over his eyes and his tongue dangled lossly from a huge open-mouthed grin. He waited patiently as someone held his tongue and stamped it. He turned to Laxus, with his tongue still escaping his mouth, branded in black with the guild's signature.

"Yo! I'm Bickslow and these are my babies."

The boy and the floating objects around his head began to dissolve.

Laxus saw a pretty teenage girl. Her secretive, cunning smile reflected back into a pair of confident brown eyes as she groomed her perfect chestnut locks.

"In order to live up to my name, I must preserve my beauty so it is always radiant and evergreen. That means you boys will have to wait," she said with a shrill laugh.

The girl sitting in front of the vanity began to dissolve.

Laxus saw a calm, young man with thick green hair serenely reading a book at one of the guild's long wooden picnic tables. He ignored the general bustle as his guildmates shuffled around the hall. Not a hair on his head was disturbed as he gracefully dodged a chunk of ice and concurrently a fireball whizzed that past his head. The boy seemed only affected by the text he read. As he read, his face grew distorted with worry which developed into terror.

"Freed! What's going on?" Laxus asked worried. His friend wasn't one to easily lose his composure. He looked up, seeming to notice for the first time that he wasn't alone.

"Laxus," he began with a panicked edge to his otherwise smooth tongue. "You need to stop this." The image began to dissolve into a white haze.

"No! Freed come back!" Laxus shouted into the cloudy void. The words had barely left his lips before they were stifled by the pressing miasma. "Ah what the hell!" Laxus boomed. He released a torrent of lightning in an attempt to dissipate the fog. It only reflected his energy and pain shook is entire body. "Shit," he muttered.

From that moment, they became increasingly more difficult to bear. He futilely chased the illusory scenes but each one was swiftly supplanted by the next.

Laxus saw a faceless crowd in a shadowy market street. They made no sound as the shuffled in and out of his vision. Ghostly figures without a future. They are only able to move forward with about as much detail in direction as they have in their individuality. A thunderous explosion shook the silent scene. The flow of the crowd became more forceful. He found himself swept up in the tide of the swiftly moving bodies.

Laxus saw his father. Standing proud before a hungry audience. They greedily reached for his feet, climbing over one another in an attempt to reach him. The tyrant scowled down at the weaklings. He kicked the ones who encroached on his personal space tossing them back into the scavenging mass of people. Fights broke out amongst the disturbed public. The overbearing man unleashed a lethal dose of lightning on the unforgiving crowd. Wait, his father wasn't a lightning mage.

Laxus saw the ruins of a battle field. The buildings of Magnolia law strewn about in piles of smoking rubble. Thick smog filled the air and obstructed any sunlight from reaching the Earth's surface. The only conceivable source of light was the reflection of raging fires reflecting off of the cloudy atmosphere, giving every surface a glaring red glow. He stood in the center of it all, arms crossed, evaluating the devastation. What happened here? He took a small step but something stopped him in his tracks. On the ruined path in front of him lay an indiscernible body. He suddenly noticed all around him were more faceless victims of the decimation.

Laxus saw his guild hall, once a proud monument at the epicenter of Magnolia, crumbling and defeated in a dark, desolate wasteland. The thick stench of blood and decay filled his nostrils making his eyes water. He approached the building, his steps getting more and more heavy. It got to the point where he could no longer move and the distance between him and the guild hall seemed to stretch like putty. Laxus looked down and saw of a stream of blood, spilling out from the doors of the building and pooling around his ankles. He tried to escape the rising tide but the ground had a solid hold on the soles of his feet. The blood and filth overwhelmed him and he was lost.

Laxus saw a girl. Her back was to him and he longed to see her face. Wisps of her soft, black hair blew in a gentle breeze that tickled the dew covered grass beneath their bare feet. The two of them stood on a distant hilltop, disconnected from the rest of the world. A blanket of mist protected them from the outside and cast a soft light on the surroundings. Here it was just the two of them. She whispered his name. He could almost feel her soft breath brush his ear.

Laxus opened his eyes and saw the girl's face. Warm grey eyes regarded him softly as delicate fingers brushed away a tear that had escaped his tired eyes. She had pulled his head into her lap and was gently brushing back loose strands of his hair. The proud lightning mage was embarrassed to be crying in front of a complete stranger. He couldn't remember the last time he had expressed such vulnerability. And his tearful departure from Magnolia hardly counted because no one was actually watching him. It made him ever more uncomfortable that she had entered his extremely personal and intimate dream.

Emmaline leaned away from him momentarily to produce a small flask full of water. He took a few meager sips as he waited for her to say something. He was sure she'd ask if he was alright to which he'd think 'Do I fucking look okay?' but say 'Yeah'. He brooded and stared out into the dark forest, refusing to acknowledge her.

The night was at its prime and he focused on the calming harmony of night life. A cloud slid over the full moon, casting a deep shadow over the landscape and keeping the tree's secrets hidden from view. Eventually, he realized that she wasn't going to say anything. His rigid muscles relaxed, pressing more into her leg. He hadn't realized that he was leaning against her. Or maybe she leaned against him. Either way, he was too exhausted from his nightmares to care. Man, this is pathetic, he thought but didn't do anything to resist. Her fingers traced light patterns across his temples and hairline. The gentle touch eased some of his worries and he succumbed to exhaustion.

A distant lullaby ushered him to sleep. It seemed to stand as a barrier between him and the shadows that dared to enter his dreams. A calm washed over him and he sank into a deep sleep.

-o0o-

 _Dear Mom and Dad,_

 _I started writing another letter but I made some premature accusations. So I scrapped it._

 _Today I learned that there are a multitude of layers to each person. People are unbelievably multifaceted and complex. My goal on this adventure wasn't to learn about human nature but I am and I couldn't imagine learning a better lesson right now. I have discovered that people have dark sides and light sides, just as shadows cannot be cast without the light. And I also have learned that it takes patience and persistence to discover the potential in people, if it isn't already evident._

 _I've come to realize that you shouldn't believe everything you read in Sorcerer's Weekly, even though that is my most reliable source of news in the guild world. But, they didn't nearly give Laxus the credit that he deserves. I mean, he was habitually characterized as the angsty wizard of Fairy Tail and seemed to play off of that a lot. They didn't downplay his strength at all (it's so much more impressive in person, though) but generally it was attributed to his lineage, not his own accomplishment. I can see though that he has his own drive. He has so much conviction which stems from deep emotion. And that's not something that comes from anyone else. I guess I just could be fangirling again. He probably doesn't even care what they say about him. He's pretty cool like that._

 _Hope everything is going well. Sorry you're gonna get a ton of letters all at once. There's a lot of distance between towns with post offices..._

 _We haven't had any more run ins with bandits thankfully. But even if we did, I bet I could beat them myself! And even if I couldn't, Laxus has my back._

 _Love,_

 _Emmaline_

* * *

A/N:

So, what do you think? I had a lot of fun writing this brief chapter. Please leave a review if you have any comments, questions, advice. Or PM me (:

Also, I made a tumblr for my story! To post some writing stuff that's too short to publish as a story but mostly to save all of the awesome Fairy Tail stuff that I find. It's still new and I'm looking for more fairies on my dash. Let me know if you have any suggestions! You can check it out at emmalinetigre (Make Me a Fairy)

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail


	8. First Quest

**First Quest**

It was only midmorning by the time the pair had reached town. Overall, it was a modest residential area. A quaint shopping and dining district extended along the central road which could guide them straight from one end of town to the other. The sun had recently risen over a lofty hill at the edge of town which inhibited a handful of filthy rich mansions.

"This place blows," Laxus declared. Apparently he had already determined that nothing here could peek his interest. The two lightning mages stood before the community board and examined the regional map that claimed most of the space. "And it looks like we're stuck here until tomorrow. The next place is at least a day's walk away and I promised someone a dinner tonight." He flashed his companion a winning smile and winked.

Emmaline thought she was going to swoon. Why was her heart beating so fast? It drummed hard against her ribs like a caged animal. But she refused to let it out. Not for this brute.

"But don't get any ideas," he growled, back to his unfriendly self. "I'm just paying you back for fixing me up.

"Wouldn't dream of it." There was the Laxus she recognized.

"In the meantime, this will keep us busy." He ripped a weathered piece of paper off its rusty staple. The notice looked like it hadn't gained any attention since it had been posted. "I'm assuming you've never been on a quest before."

They began a leisurely stroll through the busy streets. The client had waited months for someone to answer his pleas so he could wait another few minutes for them to take their time.

"Quests," he began with stately authority, "are the essence of being in a guild, the epitome of guild life. To put it simply, filthy rich bastards rent out wizards so they don't have to get their hands dirty. When you're S-Class like me, rewards are up in the millions." He paused to add emphasis and was pleased to see that she was hanging off of his every word. As she should be. "There are decade quests and with that hell of a reward, you're set for life. You'll need to start small though. This quest will be good for you. Oh, and when you take a job, make sure you read the note all the way through. Sometimes those cheap-ass bastards try to scam you out of your pay."

Emmaline was absorbing all of this like a sponge to water. "What are we doing for this one?" she wondered, eager to get started on her first quest.

"Don't interrupt me. Now what you should be asking is 'How much does it pay?' That's all that really matters. This one says that the client lives on that tall hill to the right and the pay is 15,000 jewels so I could probably do it with my eyes closed. You definitely could," he added, remembering her special abilities.

"Okay, but do what?" she pressed.

"How the hell do I know? Haven't you been listening to me? I didn't have time to read the damned paper," he bellowed, not caring that he was contradicting his own lecture. "We'll know soon enough when we talk to him. It's not really that big of a - Hey!" He grabbed her small wrist and twisted it around to see what she had extracted from his pocket. "What the hell, you trying to pick-pocket me?"

"I wanted to read it!" she squealed as he painfully gripped her.

"Good, because I don't want to," he conceded and let go of his crushing hold. They had reached the edge of the wealthy development and the ground began to gently slope upwards. Emmaline carefully read the request to herself. "Well, what does it say," Laxus asked impatiently.

"It says:

' _Please! Is there someone, anyone, who will come to my aid? I am being terrorized day in and day out. In the nights, I hear their whispers floating in through my open window, plotting my demise.'_

"There's a little side not here that says he likes the _'gentle breeze caressing his skin as he sleeps.'_ You were going to ask why he just doesn't close his window, weren't you?" Laxus just snorted and looked at the path ahead of them. "I knew it, and he did too," she teased, waving the paper in front of his face.

"This guy is whack," he declared.

"Oh no, it gets better," she promised and continued reading.

 _'What are they doing? What do they want? Is it my dashing good looks? My unrivaled wealth? My vast plot of property? My priceless possessions? Oh, I can only imagine!'_

"By the way, there are two people behind those trashcans," she warned without taking her eyes off of the paper.

' _Please somebody save me from this trauma. How can one attain proper beauty sleep under these desolate conditions!'_

Her reading was interrupted by a nasally cackle. As she had predicted, two young men stepped out from behind the garbage cans. They sported identical bowl cuts and buck teeth protruded from their lips. "What do we have -"

"Get outta my way!" Laxus boomed and sent them both flying with one power-packed punch. "Doesn't it even say anything remotely important?" he growled with irritation.

Emmaline skimmed the rest of the document, just as unfazed by the interruption as he had been. "Well, not really, but from what I can gather, he wants us to take care of these gangsters. He seems really concerned about his safety. They must really be dangerous form him to make such a caterwauling like this. You know, in your current condition, I don't think it would be wise to be dealing with crime syndicates. I mean, you're still using all of those bandages as an adequate replacement for a shirt. And your arm still has another week or two, given that you don't aggravate it." She waited nervously for him to counter.

"Hmph, fine. Job's all yours. I'll just sit back and watch. Should be a good show," he agreed surprisingly easy. He laughed at the shocked expression on her face. "You're never going to get experience by cowering in my shadow all of the time. Best way is to immerse you in the questing world is to drop you in without a life line." He gave her a hard smack on the back which drove her breath out.

As the two approached the broad fence that surrounded the massive property, a two toned whistle sounded from the sky. The shrill sound grew louder as two objects plummeted from the highest reaches of the atmosphere. The noise morphed into a more discernable scream as the two people raced towards the earth and promptly landed in the trash bins with a loud thud.

Laxus briefly glanced at the two punks from earlier but dismissed them as unimportant. Emmaline didn't know what to make of the situation or Laxus' terrifying power. Instead, she turned a blind eye and pretended that nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. Perhaps for Laxus, nothing inconceivable had just happened.

"Well, how the hell are we supposed to get in," he growled and grabbed the metal bars on the gate. Upon contact, the rod glowed and vibrated with a deathly buzz. Laxus looked at it with slight amusement and removed his smoking hand. "Huh, electric fence. But you probably already knew that," he commented.

"Yeah," she shrugged. "It's pretty charged and hard to miss."

"Oh? So why didn't you tell me?" he teased and shook his sizzled hand free of smoke.

He made a move to smack upside the head but she gracefully dodged his assault and beamed at him.

"You think you're tough?" he sneered and grabbed her head. Surprisingly, her entire cranium fit in his strong grip. He pulled her up with one hand clamped onto her skull. Before she could counter, the gate let out a low groan and slowly swung open.

"Please enter," a voice crackled from a loud speaker.

The landscape before them was the most magniloquent display either of them had ever seen and it was simply someone's front yard. Grandiose fountains marked the center of each half of the perfect lawn, divided by the stone walkway that guided them towards the mansion. The pathway was lined with perfectly trimmed hedges. Not a leaf was out of place.

"You're lucky, I was about to kick your ass," she whispered as they made their way to the mansion.

"Oh really," he asked with amusement and shoved her into the hedge.

She squealed with alarm as the prickly branches entwined themselves in her hair and snagged her clothes. Their grip tightened as she struggled to break free. He grabbed her shoulder and roughly tore her and a handful of leaves from the entanglement.

"Make yourself look presentable, we're about to meet the client," he grumbled.

In response, she stuck her tongue out at him. The gesture reminded him of his favorite seith mage and softened his heart a bit. He helped her pluck leaves and twigs from her disheveled hair.

They both stared in awe at the two grand ivory doors. They reached all the way to the top of the four-story mansion. A floating lacrima vision wormed its way through the material in the door to greet the visitors with the image of a large man in dark sunglasses.

"State your business at the Duke of Beamy's mansion," he commanded with stately authority.

"We are here responding to the request posted on the community board," Laxus answered with matched authority.

The stoic man grunted and seemed to wince. The struggle only grew as he battled some force beyond the eyes of the lacrima. A pudgy hand grabbed his black tie and impatiently shoved him out of view. The two hands grasped the perimeter of the screen and forced it down to face a short, bulbous man.

"Oh wizards!" he trilled. The height of his pitch was far too high for him, just as the screen had been. Too bad they couldn't grab that and pull it lower too. "Let them in right away!"

Laxus maintained a professional demeanor in front of the boisterous client and Emmaline attempted to mirror his composure. Her stoicism was quickly replaced with shock as the doors slowly swung open to reveal the treasure within the foyer.

The entry way alone was fit for a ballroom. All decorative items were composed of pristine ivory, shined to perfection, and devoid of a single speck of dust. The room ended in a double marble staircase mirrored perfectly to the left and right. At the top of the stairs was a balcony from which the client appeared. He childishly rode the banister down to the first floor and chortled with giddy delight.

"Quit gawking. It's unprofessional." Laxus poked her in the side.

"Put a shirt on, being naked is unprofessional" she retorted.

"Lovely! You're just lovely!" the stout millionaire commended interrupting their bicker. He made it halfway to the door before stopping abruptly mid-stride. "Please, please. Follow me this way and do make yourselves at home." The duke turn-tailed and headed for a door leading to a wide hallway.

They had nearly had to sprint through the room to catch up with the eccentric man just as he was entering a much smaller, more intimate room. The only source of light was artificial but was mostly absorbed by the forest green walls and rugs.

"Get comfy, you two. We have much to discuss," he bubbled with that rather irritating voice. In person, he was even shorter than he had seemed on the lacrima vision. He rose only to Emmaline's shoulder and she didn't even reach that on Laxus. The man accompanying him, on the other hand, was much taller, almost Laxus' height but less muscular. Perhaps if he had spikey hair like Laxus' was, he would be just as tall. But, like the Duke, the only hair on his head was a wiry mustache and a thin goatee.

"So, you have accepted my request," he said with all seriousness. The effervescent personality had suddenly vanished and his presence was almost threatening. He sat behind a large oak desk in a high black chair as one would imagine a dictator would. Small beady eyes became encased in a dark shadow though the lighting didn't appear to change.

Laxus could feel Emmaline flinch at the abrupt change in ambiance but he had met too many rich bastards like this one to be surprised at his harsh directness. That's how they played the game: intimidation and respect. And the results spoke for themselves.

"I have been terrorized in my own home one too many nights. My men would have had them thrown in jail but those elusive criminals proved too slippery. That is why I have appealed to wizarding professionals in hopes that their skills would be able to put an end to these horrors." His voice maintained the same level business tone throughout the debriefing.

This man was a freak to end all freaks. His pinched eyes were ugly and Laxus didn't even want them looking at him. He was far too verbose like he thought anyone actually gave a shit about his wellbeing. His sudden mood swing was irritating and that fluffy persona he put on was obnoxious. The red velvet divan on which they were seated was over the top and stiff, just like its rich owner. In his opinion, the best types of jobs were the ones where you don't have to deal directly with the client.

To otherwise entertain himself, he watched Emmaline's strict attention to what the duke-man had to say. Her thin brows drew together as she imagined the perpetrators based on his description. With a sudden click in recognition, her expression popped with surprise bringing Laxus back to attention.

"Sir, I think we may have already solved you problem. Take a look in your trashcans, outside the gate and I think you'll find the culprits," she offered shyly.

"You, get someone at once," he snapped to the large man beside him. Within moments, they had a view of the gate from another lacrima vision.

"Yipee!" the duke cried with glee when he recognized the delinquents, knocked out and easily apprehendable. "Truly remarkable, you two," he applauded and wiped a joyful tear from the corner of his obviously dry eyes. What was he trying to play at? Now that the business portion of the job was complete, the rollicking weirdo was back.

Laxus looked slightly amused by this new development, the first show of emotion he had revealed to the client. He maintained that amusement all the way out of the house and through the metal gate which shut swiftly as they left the property.

"Nice job on your first quest," he gibed once they were on the road.

Emmaline glared up at him, her entire face contorted by the immense frown she sported.

"You _sabotaged_ my first quest!" she moaned. "I'll never in my life get another _first_ quest in my entire life!"

-o0o-

 _Dear Mom and Dad,_

 _Well, my first wizard job was a total bust. Not because I failed. But because I succeeded without lifting a finger. I mean, we had already done the job before we officially accepted. Laxus just took out some obnoxious guys because they were blocking our path. At least we still got paid. Though according to Laxus, the guy ripped us off because he was so rich and all._

 _We're getting ready to go out to dinner now in Laxus' hotel room. I opted to spend the night under the stars because, well, I can't really afford the comfortable lifestyle that he enjoys. And I'm afraid that I won't be able to find him tomorrow morning and that he'll just leave without me. I'm not saying that he'd do something mean like that. I mean, I don't really know. He's not a bad guy really! He just acts like it sometimes. But I swear he's not! Just like I'm not some creepy stalker girl waiting outside his window for him to leave. Because I'm not, I'll be sleeping in the tree outside the main door of the hotel. Totally not creepy._

 _Got to go! We're just about ready to leave for dinner._

 _Love you bunches,_

 _Emmaline_

* * *

A/N: How would you react to a seamless first quest like that? Hope you like it! Please R&R!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail


End file.
